In the first real test of the spirit of cooperation trumpeted at the mayor's inauguration, Council's Committee on Law and Government all but killed an April 22 ballot initiative pushed by Nutter that would have expanded the power of the Inspector General's Office. The Nutter administration has characterized the measure as a critical component of ethics reform.

But committee chairman William Greenlee said that the bill was "done" for the April 22 primary, and that the mayor would have to aim for the November ballot.

The same committee also held until Feb. 28 a decision on Nutter's proposed change in the City Charter to expand, without limit, the number of departmental deputies exempt from civil service. The current limit in the charter is two, but previous administrations have worked around it, saying that the limit cripples their abilities to implement policy.

A third initiative to separate and define the offices of commerce director and city representative was successful. The bill passed out of committee with a favorable recommendation and is expected to be endorsed by the full Council - and appear on the April 22 primary ballot for approval by residents. The change would elevate the Office of City Representative to cabinet level, reporting directly to the mayor.

Nutter said he was not discouraged by his failure to sway Council yesterday, and he held out hope that the bill for more deputies would come out of committee on Feb. 28. He also insisted that there was enough time to persuade Council to place the inspector general initiative on the April ballot.

"One out of committee, one still in the process, and the other still needs a lot of conversation," Nutter said. "I know baseball is having some difficulties these days, but generally, if you're hitting .333, you're going to the Hall of Fame."

The inspector general, a position created by an executive order from Mayor W. Wilson Goode in 1984, now is appointed by the mayor and serves at the pleasure of the mayor. The office's budget is controlled by the mayor.

Under Nutter's proposal, the inspector general still would be appointed by the mayor, but the office would have its own budget; the appointee would serve a five-year term and could be removed by the mayor only for cause and after a hearing. Furthermore, the inspector general could - for the first time - investigate elected officials, including Council members. Finally, the inspector general would be prohibited from running for elected office for two years after leaving the position.

The administration has maintained that the changes would insulate the position from politics.

Yesterday, after Nutter's inspector general, Amy Kurland, told Council that a more independent office would help root out corruption and encourage city employees to report abuse, committee members Greenlee, Frank DiCicco, W. Wilson Goode Jr. and Bill Green responded with questions. They wanted to know why the city controller or district attorney could not do the same thing with the $1 million now budgeted annually for Kurland's office.

Kurland, a former assistant U.S. attorney who made a living prosecuting corruption in the city, told them that the status quo has not been able to stem corruption.

"For the past 24 years, we've had all these agencies, and we continue to have these problems," Kurland said.

Still, she could not satisfy committee members as to the different job descriptions of each of the city's watchdogs, and Greenlee held the bill.